Lots of response to this week's cover story on Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever, including a bunch of e-mails from folks who were appalled that Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu failed to "man up" and return a phone call from his then-close colleague, Dever, in late February after the proverbial shit hit the fan with this oft-referenced story.

Each person that commented on that opening anecdote lauded Dever for being kind enough (even though he was pissed as hell on several levels) to have reached out to the suddenly beleaguered Babeu after the New Times story broke, if just to wish him the best as the sheriff-turned-Congressional-candidate tried to squirm his way out of a desperately tough spot.

Dever told us for our story that he never did hear back from Babeu, either on the day in question in late February or since then, even though the pair once had been muy simpatico on SB 1070 and other illegal-immigration-enforcement issues.

We can describe his tone in discussing Babeu as disappointed, resigned, unhappy, and a few other choice adjectives.

Lo and behold, Dever contacted us yesterday upon his return from Washington D.C., where he had attended the SB 1070 arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court.

We spoke briefly -- he gave us his analysis of the high court debate and seemed quite satisfied that his side (he's part of the pro-1070 crowd) is going to win the day (or at least a good part of the day).

Dever mentioned that he had heard from a lot of people within hours after our profile of him hit the 'Net on our website, but he noted one in particular:

Paul Babeu.

Sheriff Dever wouldn't reveal to us the content of what he said was a short conversation.

But he admitted that he did see the irony that it took a damned news story -- a flippin' New Times story at that -- for Babeu to finally get back to him.